1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns an apparatus for washing out flexographic printing plates with a large number of rotating brushes which are at least partly immersed in a liquid bath and with a turning roll arranged behind the brushes in the direction of conveying which changes the direction of motion of the printing plates.
2. Description of Related Art
In a known device of this type (EP 0 225 678 B1) the printing plates are pulled through the device by pull rods to which they are clamped. The pull rods are suspended on hooks which in turn are affixed to a conveyer belt. The conveyer belt simultaneously forms a rest for the printing plates so that they cannot move aside when being driven past the rotating brushes. The rotating brushes remove the photopolymers not polymerized during a previous exposure so that, depending on the design of the printing plate, at the end of the washing out process a positive or negative image remains in the form of relief on the printing plate.
During the process a certain fouling of the printing plates is unavoidable. Dirt particles adhering to the printing plates eventually lead to an accumulation of dirt particles on the printing cylinders which reduces the accuracy of the mounting of the printing plates on the printing cylinders and thus impairs the printed result achieved.
The invention therefore has the task of improving the cleaning of the printing plates.